


Hidden in Plain Sight

by Pam_beasley



Category: Among Us (Video Game)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:27:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 9,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26658928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pam_beasley/pseuds/Pam_beasley
Summary: Blue joins a crew led by Black, working to do maintenance repairs around a space station. When they find one of their own dead, however, Blue and crew must outsmart and outvote the impostors, working to repair the ship and outlast the killers.
Comments: 15
Kudos: 24





	1. Meeting the Crew

I blinked several times. The room spun, then it froze, covered with static, and then it flickered with my blinking. Teleportation always left me dazed and dizzy.

“Move!” shouted a person in a red space suit.

I blinked, again. 

Something slid under me, rising me into the air. I gasped. I swung my head, moving as much as I could in the limited suit, which, I admit, wasn’t much, and saw I sat in someone’s lap. The fluorescent pink suit picked me up, moving me off their lap. They stood, pulling me away from the chair. As quickly as we moved, another suit, this one lime, filled the space. 

“I told you to move,” grunted the red suit, turning away from us. 

“I’m so sorry!” I said to the pink. I bowed at the waist in what I hoped looked like an apologetic gesture. The comms had a way of distorting one’s tone and, because they couldn’t read my expression through my dark visor, I had to ensure they knew I was genuine.

They waved their hand, dismissing my apologies. I couldn’t see their face, but I imagined they were smiling, their personality as vibrant as their suit.

I backed into the corner, hiding my own embarrassment and surveying the room. 

Our suits were identical save for size and color. There were no markings. No badges of honor. No names. I could ask for them, but I’d forget as easily as a student forgets homework over the weekends. Names weren’t my strong suit. Colors worked easily enough. 

Red paced back and forth, stomping with each step. If I had to guess, I’d say the speed, more than anything, upset Red. Our suits controlled our steps. The gravity was set to weigh us down and control our movements. Too little gravity gave an uncontrollable weightlessness. Too much gravity left one’s body sore, fighting against the immense pressure. As it was, we could walk alright and I didn’t see a reason to complain, but Red continued stomping, as if willing the gravity to break to their demands.

While Red stomped, Pink swayed from side to side. They spun in a circle, stopped, and swayed some more. How they had the energy was beyond me. It wasn’t common for a maintenance worker to be so lively. 

A white suit stood by one of the seats, out of the way but unmoving. 

An orange suit sat on the ground, drumming their fingers against their leg. Pink waved at them, and they waved back. 

A purple suit leaned against one of the walls, arms crossed. Purple’s head turned, and I spun, directing my gaze elsewhere. I didn’t want to be caught staring. I didn’t know them. 

Of course, not knowing my crew was always frustrating. I wished the higher ups had designated crews for designated stations, but that would be too much work for them, wouldn’t it? No, it’d be far easier to stick whoever was available with whoever else was available. Didn’t matter if they knew each other. They’d suck it up and make it work. Whoopee. 

A lime suit tapped on a computer, their gloved fingers moving quickly. Maybe they were a seasoned worker. I wasn’t, myself. I’d only gone on a handful of maintenance checks prior. Enough training to not have to depend on anyone, but not enough to remember simple things like moving out of the damn seat before someone else transports in. 

A dark green suit teleported in and nodded to me. I nodded back. Always liked those casual types. Didn’t feel the need to talk to me, but acknowledged that I existed. We’d work together just fine.

Then, a vibrant cyan suit teleported in, skipping from the seats straight to the computer. 

Oh no.

Everyone stopped and stared at Cyan. 

They weren’t just a seasoned worker. They were a seasoned worker who still thought the job should be fun. Folks like that were trouble. They always lagged behind the others, following you because they were bored, never finishing their work on time. 

Paying us no mind, Cyan squatted next to the computer stand, opened a compartment, and pulled out a box of headgear. 

Pink laughed. Was Pink new? 

Red scoffed and resumed his pacing. Okay, they were a seasoned worker. Or, at least, a person who had stepped in shit when they woke up.

Plucking a cowboy hat from the box, Cyan placed it on their head. Then, they tore it off, choosing a new one.

Pink dashed to Cyan’s side. “Oh an egg!” They threw it to White who caught it. “Now you’re an egg with an egg.”

White looked at the egg, holding it away from their body.

“Because you’re white and round.” Pink motioned to their body. “You look like an egg!”

“Oh, okay.” White put the egg on their head, and Pink returned to the box satisfied. 

Someone shoved past me, and I scurried to get out of their way. Stupid Red. They stomped their feet, moving around the entire room now. 

“Can we go in now?” asked Red.

“We’re waiting on one more, I think,” said Green.

Red huffed.

Pink stood in front of me, close enough it was if they were trying to see into my helmet. “Lue.” They held out a red beanie. A pink flower stuck to the top of their suit and bobbed with their movements. 

“Lue?” 

“You’re blue.” They gestured to my suit. “Blue, blue, Lue, Lue.” 

I took the beanie, not wanting to offend them, but not quite knowing what to do with it.

One of the chairs buzzed, the teleporter at work. We all whipped our heads to see a black suit sitting in one of the chairs, legs and arms crossed. Black stood, marched to the center of the room, and said, “Let’s go.”

With that, we were off. 


	2. Damn Electric

We teleported to the cafeteria, and I stumbled, nearly falling off the bench. Pink caught me, holding me steady. Shit. I hated teleporting. 

Pink’s hand rested on my back. I tried to say thanks, but the words never left my helmet. I rolled my eyes. The higher ups shut off communication when we worked on our tasks. They claimed it was more productive that way. We couldn’t distract ourselves with each other’s company. Instead, we’d live and survive in silence. 

Pink tilted their head as if wanting to ensure I was okay. 

I nodded. Removing their hand, they gave me a thumbs up. I nodded again. 

I turned away from them, more embarrassed than I cared to admit. Then, I snapped my fingers. In the leftmost corner of my helmet, a list of my tasks popped up. Let’s see let’s see. 

Admin was closest so I could do that first. Then, I could whip it to Electrical and get the wiring sorted. Oh, I’d grab fuel in Storage on my way to Electric. Lower Engine first, then up to Upper. From there I could see where the other wires needed fixing. If I was lucky, I wouldn’t even need to go to the right side of the Skeld. In and out. Easy peasy.

I snapped my fingers again, whisking the task list away. Everyone save for Pink and Purple were already gone, working on their tasks.

Purple just sat at one of the benches, doing nothing. It was possible they were looking at their task list and planning out their plan of attack. Or, they were a lazy piece of shit that would hold us up. 

I shook my head. No use worrying about it.

Pink, however, looked more confused. They tapped their helmet as if trying to get their list up, moving in a slow circle as they did, as if that would somehow help. 

I waved a hand in front of them.

They stopped.

Slowly, deliberately, I snapped my fingers. Then, I tapped the left side of my helmet so they would know where to look.

They stared.

I did it again, exaggerating the snap.

They copied my movements. Their head jerked up, their excitement evident. They waved to me and rushed off towards weapons.

I couldn’t help the grin on my face.

Okay, okay. Focus. Admin card swipe. 

My footsteps echoed in the hall. It was a melody of sorts, keeping me company.

Orange stood next to the card reader. Their hand shook as they pulled out their ID. They dropped it. With shaking hands, they picked it up again. 

Red paced behind them. 

Orange swiped their card. The machine beeped. Too slow. They raised their hand for round two.

Red pushed them out of the way, whipping out their card. Orange stumbled, falling to the ground.

I rushed to Orange’s side. I held out a hand. They stared for a second, then they took it. I pulled them up. When we turned to the card swipe, Red was gone. Orange motioned for me to go first. Maybe they were embarrassed.

I swiped my card. The light flickered. Perfect. Moving towards the hall, I tucked my ID away. I turned, waving to Orange, but their attention was already on the card reader, their hands still shaking. 

I wished I could help them, but sharing tasks was strictly forbidden. The higher ups designed our suits to only be able to accomplish our own tasks. Any interaction with the Skeld other than that would result in the automatic override of one’s suit. Trust me when I said it’s no fun having a space suit move for you. And yet, they couldn’t employ robots to do our job? 

I headed to Storage. Boxes and crates tumbled over each other in the middle of the room. Several floated, spinning and casting shadows on the ground. I searched for the fuel. If it was in one of the floating containers, I’d quit. 

The red gas canister rested firmly on the ground, thank goodness. I grabbed it. I gave it a firm shake. There was enough fuel for one engine, but not both. I’d have to make two trips. 

The fuel sloshed in the canister with my steps. Green turned down the hallway, coming from Lower Engine. We nodded at each other respectfully, and I turned into Electric. 

Let’s see. There was wiring that needed maintenance. I just had to find the proper panel.

Electric brimmed with panels and wires, spilling over the floor, climbing up the wall, dangling from the ceiling. 

I set the gas can by the entrance and snapped my fingers. Wiring. Wiring. I had to find the wiring. 

A wire snaked out, caught my foot, and dragged me to the ground. I hit the floor with a thud. A sharp ping ran through my helmet. I lay there for a moment. Damn. I hated Electric. 

I pushed my hands against the ground, getting my knee under me and slowly dragging my heavy space suit up. I didn’t even want to finish my task in here. 

I exhaled. There wasn’t a use getting upset. At least no one saw me. 

I rounded the corner of the main set of panels. 

Out of everything I was expecting to see, I wasn't expecting to step onto the set of a horror movie. 

I screamed. No one could hear me, but I screamed and screamed, the noise reverberating off my helmet and back to me. It didn’t matter. I screamed again. 

Cyan slumped in the corner.

Dead.


	3. The First Vote

My shrieks pierced my helmet, hitting me full force. Cyan’s chin knocked against their chest as if they had fallen asleep on the job. A gash tore through the middle of their suit. A giant hole right in the gut. Blood trickled out the gash. The color stained their suit and dribbled onto the ground, an ever growing pool. It was a fountain of the worst variety.

I ran to Cyan. Dropping to my knees, I pushed both hands into the wound. Shit. Shit. Shit.

There was a med bay. I could carry them to Medbay. I could take care of this. They’d be okay. We had equipment. 

The blood tumbled over my hands, spilling into the wrinkles of my gloves. It’d be okay. They’d be okay. 

My chest heaved. 

Don’t throw up. 

Don’t throw up in this damned space suit. 

I pressed harder into Cyan’s gut. They fell forward, their helmet hitting mine. 

Shit.

Shit.

Shit.

I grabbed their arm. I’d swing it around my neck, I’d scoop an arm around their waist, and I’d pull them up. Then, we’d go to Medbay. We’d get this fixed. 

We would get this fixed.

The bracelet on their wrist clicked against mine.

An alarm sounded in my helmet, blaring against the inside of my skull. The room flashed white, then black, then I was in the cafeteria.

On instinct, Pink reached out and caught me.

“What the hell!” shouted Red, their shrill voice mixing with the many sounds in my helmet. “I was in the middle of a download.”

Their voice! I could talk!

“Cyan!” I gasped, the words fighting to come out. “Cyan is dead! I was in Electric. I had to fix some stupid wiring, and I tripped. Damn it, I tripped, and when I got up, I found them. I found them hurt and dead, and oh no, they’re dead. I couldn't save them. Medbay. We have to get them to Medbay! They’re, they’re, they’re dead.” My chest heaved, and my spacesuit felt like a rock dragging down my every move. 

“Do you think it was a heart attack?” asked Lime. 

“They were killed.” I didn’t mean to say it, but I did, and now images of their death flashed through their mind. Someone, something, had killed them. There wasn’t another explanation for the wound. “They...they were stabbed. In the gut. I swear.”

“That’s impossible!”

Our heads snapped to see Green pushing against the table as if trying to get away from us. “I was in Electric with them. They were struggling, so I left to take care of Lower Engine. I was going to check on them when I was done. You saw me! I was going to check on them!”

I flinched. Pink took my hands in theirs and squeezed. 

“We’ll leave,” they said as if it was the simplest thing in the world. Their voice sounded the way lemonade tasted, but the absurdity of their statement added a sour tinge.

“Go back?” Red laughed. “We can’t get off this fucking thing until every task is done. Teleporters are off to conserve power.”

Black tapped their fingers against the table in a steady rhythm. 

Pink tilted their head. “We teleported here didn’t we?” They turned to me now, squeezing my hand again. “Just do what you did to get us all together.”

I shook my head back and forth, pulling my hands away from them. I didn’t want to touch anyone until I was off this fucking ship. 

“It was probably an accident,” said Black.

We turned. 

They continued to tap their fingers in an erratic rhythm. 

“Someone was stabbed and you say it’s an accident?” laughed Red.

“The meeting.” Black directed their words to me. “Your bracelet”—they held up their wrist to show a bracelet where their heartbeat ran around it—“must’ve touched theirs. They keep track of our movements, and if someone’s bracelet stops beeping—”

“—you mean if someone else dies,” interjected Red.

“—then a meeting is called.”

“By that logic, shouldn’t the death have been reported the moment they died?” asked Lime. They sat with their arms crossed as if they were trying to piece the puzzle together. 

“The system’s not the best,” admitted Black. “A working heart rate needs to touch the bracelet of a still one for the teleportation feature to kick in.”

“And then we’re all brought here?” asked White.

Black nodded.

“Why?”

Black tensed. 

I looked to Pink. They hugged themselves, the spot next to them empty. Cyan’s.

“Why?” asked White again.

“For funeral arrangements, obviously.” Red hit the table.

“You,” Lime said to Black. “You’ve been through this before.”

If silence could cut, we’d all be dead right then and there. 

Black’s fingers hung over the table, unwilling to continue the tapping. 

Orange, who sat across from me, held their head in their hands, saying nothing. 

If possible, Purple looked bored. 

Green shook, but otherwise said nothing.

Even Red had shut up.

To Black, I said, “Tell us what to do.”

Black nodded, slow and uncertain.

“I’ve only been through this once before.”

“And what the hell is this?” demanded Red. 

“Interfectorem Impostor. It’s a breed of alien that disguises themself to blend in. They look like us. They talk like us. They do most everything we can do.”

“Most,” Lime cut in. “You said  _ most _ everything we can do. What can’t they do.”

Black straightened their shoulders as if fighting off a memory. The system rejects them. They can watch the cameras and use the locator in admin, but any tasks meant for us, only we can do. The system never gives them any.”

“That’s easy enough,” said Pink. “We take turns doing the same tasks—”

“That wouldn’t work,” I said. “We can only do our own tasks, and the system—”

“—is royally fucked,” snapped Red. “Most aren’t visible by others.”

“Oh.” Pink’s shoulders dropped. 

“Anything else we should know?” asked Lime, turning back to Black. 

“They can manipulate their size. They can travel through the vents.”

“And what’s stopping those fuckers from killing us all right now?”

The communicator picked up Black’s unsteady breathing. Whatever they had gone through, it had been hell.

“They have limited energy. Killing...takes a lot out of them. They need to wait for their energy to replenish before they can kill another.”

“So they're on cooldown,” said Lime.

We looked around the table. Cyan’s killer, whoever they were, were sitting among us, looking just like us, pretending to mourn over this gruesome death. 

Pink shivered. 

I wanted to reach for their hand, to comfort them, but what if they were the Imposter. What if they were only putting on a show?

As if reading my thoughts, Black said, “We can’t look too much into it. The quickest way out is for everyone to finish their tasks.”

“Let’s vote,” said White.

My head snapped up. Vote? Vote for what?

“What the hell do you mean?” asked Red.

“We pick who we think the Imposter is. Everyone has to vote, and we can’t leave until we do. Then, we’ll throw them out.”

“What if we’re wrong?” asked Pink.

“Don’t be wrong.”

“I… I think it’s a good idea.” I surprised myself by speaking, but the thought of continuing on as if nothing had happened was mortifying. “We’ll keep an eye on each other, and if something’s wrong, we’ll vote on it. Majority rules.”

“Majority rules?” Green’s hands hit the table. “That’s ridiculous! Someone else could die, and we’re supposed to put our fate into the majority’s hands?”

“We’ll I don’t think we’ll get the Imposter to kindly walk off, Dipshit.” 

“Hey!” Pink scolded Red. “Let’s try to be kind to one another, please.”

“What if we don’t have evidence, so we all vote wrong?” asked Green, the hysteria in their voice rising. 

“We’ll have an option to skip,” said Lime. “It’s simple enough. You’ll vote for who you think it is, or you can skip. The vote will be blind to not sway anyone, but the results will be revealed so we can know who we can trust or not.”

“We’ve stayed back long enough,” cut in Black before Red could say anything more. “If no one has any problem with that, we’ll vote now. Then, we’ll continue our tasks like planned. I’ll put in an emergency meeting feature so you can call us if you see something suspicious.” They nodded to Green pointedly. “That way no one has to die to get us together.”

We nodded. Then, we snapped our fingers to pull up the voting screen. I looked around the table. Purple’s head rested against the table now. It didn’t look like they planned on voting. Red clicked their answer and crossed their arms with a huff. Green covered their visor with their hands. I wondered if they were crying. Black sat erect. I couldn’t imagine having gone through this once before. Lime counted us then counted something on their fingers. Maybe they were figuring their odds of making a lucky vote. White’s finger wagged from side to side as if playing a game of eenie-meenie-miney-mo. Orange’s head moved around, looking at each of us in term. They hadn’t said a word the entire meeting. Did they know what was going on? Pink’s held their hands clasped together in front of them. 

Eight other people, and I didn’t have a clue.

I voted.

  
  



	4. Damn Electric Take Two

I clenched and unclenched my hands. The results came in. Everyone, save for Purple, had skipped. Purple, who now had their head pressed against the table, hadn’t even voted, which I guess is the same thing as skipping.

We looked at each other. Black dusted their hands and straightened their shoulders as if that was the end of that. They marched off. 

Red stood, kicked the table, then stomped their way to Weapons. 

Lime shrugged as if it couldn’t be helped and followed them.

Then, Green stood. They took a step and fell to their knees.

Pink, Orange, and I bolted out of our seats. 

Pink put an arm around them, trying to help them. Green lashed out. They punched Pink’s chest. Like a turtle, they fell onto their back, their legs thrashing. 

The Imposter! 

I threw myself on them. 

Orange grabbed me. They pulled me back, tearing me away from Green. Green scrambled to get their legs under them. Their arms waved wildly. They most likely yelled at me.

Tossing me aside, Orange rushed to take control of Green, pulling them before they could lunge for me.

Pink held onto my waist. I shouted at Green and kicked out. They would die. If they were the Imposter, I would kill them with my own hands. 

Pink spun me to face them. They snapped their fingers, reminding me of my tasks. Then, they raised their hand in front of their chest and lowered it as if reminding me to breathe.

I took a breath. I was overreacting. If Green was the Imposter, I’d be dead. Pink was right. I had to focus on my tasks. I’d get through this somehow. I’d be okay. 

Pink pulled me away from the cafeteria and into Storage. They tilted their head as if asking if I’d be okay. 

I didn’t respond.

I didn’t know. 

I cried.

I slid against the wall, falling to my knees, and cried. 

We were trapped, and I was going to die, and I was expected to go about my tasks as if a killer wasn’t waiting to take my life. Cyan was dead, and no one gave a shit, and the worst of all, I didn’t know man from monster.

I had hurt Green. I might have hurt someone who was as scared as myself. 

Pink put an arm around me.

The Imposter!

I pressed my hands against their chest and scrambled to get away. 

They gave me the distance.

I made myself small. No one could hurt me if I was small. I hugged my knees and tucked in my shoulders.

Pink watched. 

Red walked past, and Pink’s head shot up. Red shrugged and continued on their way.

Was Pink… protecting me? 

Tentatively, I held out a hand. Pink took it and squeezed. Their grip was firm. Safe. 

I stood.

Pink stood.

Never once letting go of my hand, they walked with me. 

In Upper Engine, I refueled the engine, and they held onto my hand. They stuck beside me, our sides nearly touching. The long hallways echoed our footsteps, a haunting duet. 

I passed Medbay, and Pink tugged my arm, stopping me. They nodded toward Medbay. I followed them in. They let go of my hand, and immediately, the emptiness surrounded me. 

They stepped onto the scanner, but they were far away. I couldn’t touch them. I couldn’t protect them. I backed into the corner where I could watch them and the door. The vent was on the ground. I peered into it, but everything was black. If anyone was in there, I couldn’t see them. The scanner passed over Pink’s suit, taking in their data. 

The lights flicked out.

I ran into Pink’s arms, and they held onto me as if they regretted ever letting go. 

Our flashlights clicked on. I released Pink from the hold and hooked arms with them. Holding hands wasn’t enough.

Electrical. 

We had to go back to Electrical.

Pink took the first step.

I faltered.

They stopped, not willing to pull me along. 

It’d be okay.

We were together.

We’d fix this.

Together.

With Pink beside me, arms interlocked, we made our way to Electric. 

At the entrance, Pink scanned their flashlight, starting at the left, then to the right, ensuring the room was empty. When that was clear, they stepped so they could see where it had happened. Where Cyan had died. I shut my eyes and let them look. 

They pulled me back to the entrance and to the paneling of wires. I was lucky for Pink, because I shook so much it was all I could do to stand. I couldn’t handle the delicate work of wiring.

Seconds passed. Minutes. I watched the door. Then, remembering the vent, I watched the room itself. The darkness hung like a weighted blanket, pressing down on us, masking all shapes. 

Footsteps echoed from the hall.

I nudged Pink’s side. They had to work faster.

The footsteps stomped closer.

Pink! 

The lights flicked on.

Then, everything went black. 

We were being teleported. 


	5. Whoops

As if on cue, Pink caught me. 

“Thanks,” I muttered.

They laughed, their laughter cool and refreshing. “Thanks for having my back out there.”

“Of course, but why are we here?” I scanned the group. Black stood at the head, as always. Purple leaned against Orange, bored. Red and White were engaged in a heated debate. Green hugged themselves, rocking slightly. And Lime—

“Lime’s dead!” cried Pink. They clutched my arm.

“Wow, no shit,” said Red. White slapped them. “They called the meeting.” They gestured to Green. 

Green shook their head back and forth. 

“Where was it?” Black prodded.

Green just shook and muttered to themselves and shook some more. 

“It’s alright.” Pink let go of me to hold out their hand. Green flinched away. “We’re here. Tell us what happened.”

“What happened is someone was just killed,” Red snapped, “and we’re expected to play along like it’s some kid’s game.”

“That’s why we have a voting system.” Black clapped their hands together, calling our attention. “If they don’t want to give us information, then you just have to vote to the best of your ability.”

“Someone  _ died _ .” Pink faced Black, matching them in authority. “Allow us to grieve.”

“I’m trying to keep you all alive.”

“You’re trying to keep yourself alive!” Red lunged for Black. Orange grabbed them. With no support, Purple slumped forward, their helmet banging against the table. 

“Everyone shut up!” White’s harsh voice cut the air. Then, turning to Green, they said, “If you could vote anyone out right now, who would it be?”

Green pointed at me.

Red shrugged. “Works for me.”

“Lou?” said Pink. “No way. I’ve been with them the entire time. Besides, I trust them.”

I smiled slightly at that.

“Why would they say it was you?” asked Black.

“We may have gotten into a fight.”

“But it was nothing!” said Pink. “They were both scared, and it’s good now.”

“We have to vote for someone,” said White.

Green jumped to their feet. “Me! Vote me!”

“What?” 

I don’t know who yelled, but it was probably all of us. 

“I can’t do this! I can’t play games like this. I’m done! Vote me.”

“Are you saying you’re the Imposter?”

“I’m saying you should vote me!”

“Did you kill the others?” I asked, my voice not really a part of my body. A formality. 

“Yes. Of course. Yes. Vote me. I’m done. I’m so done. Get me out of here.”

“What the fuck.” Red snapped their fingers and voted.

My hands shook, but I did the same. Green continued shouting, pleading.

Black and White voted. Orange shook Purple and got them to vote.

We waited on Pink.

“What are you doing?” their voice shook.

I reached for their hand, but they pulled away.

“What are you doing?” they hissed, disbelief staining their tone.

“Vote them out!” shouted Red. “If you want to save your ass, vote them out.”

“Why would you do that?” Pink’s body convulsed. “What are you doing to yourself?”

The timer hit zero.

Excluding Pink, everyone, including Green, had voted for Green. 

They collapsed as if unable to hold their own body any longer. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”

“Wait!” Pink jumped to their feet, but the system was quicker, ready to get rid of the unwanted. 

“Wait!” yelled Pink. “We can’t do this!”

The system ejected Green.

We rushed to the nearest window, watching them launch into the pitch of space.

“How do we know they're the Imposter?” I asked.

“Trust me,” said Black, their voice confirming what Pink cried about, “you’ll know.”

“What did you do?” whispered Pink. They backed away from the glass, unable to watch the suit float through the vacuum. Alone. Gone. “Why would you do that? How could you?”

Green wasn’t the Imposter. 


	6. Five Feet Apart

Pink stood, their back to the lookout, dazed. 

The communicators kicked off, silencing their protests, and we stood there. The green suit hung against the dark expanse. We had done that. We had put them there.

Black was the first to leave, always ready to continue their duty as the captain. 

Orange pulled Purple along, shaking their head profusely. 

White and Red ventured off together, but when they reached the hall, they split, going in separate directions.

Only Pink and I remained. 

Their arms hung at their sides. They stood, unmoving. As still as a statue. 

Green’s suit spun once. 

I stepped to Pink and put my arm around their shoulder. 

They shrugged it off. 

“We couldn’t have known,” I said even though they couldn’t hear me. “You can’t blame us for taking care of ourselves.”

I reached for their hand, but they slapped it away. 

“You can’t do this,” I said. “You can’t be upset.”

They turned, giving me the cold shoulder. With their head held erect, as if they were better than I, they went to Weapons.

I trailed behind. 

I couldn’t walk beside them. I didn’t deserve it. But I couldn’t leave them alone either. 

Through Weapons, they continued, passing O2, not even looking at Navigation, continuing on toward Shields.

I didn’t have any tasks over here, but I followed. I would stay with them no matter what tasks they had.

They didn’t stop at Shields, however. They passed Comms, worked their way through Storage, didn’t glance at Electric, and turned at Lower Engine. They were circling the Skeld, not caring about distance or time. 

Orange passed us near the Reactor, separated from Purple. I waved. They waved back. Pink continued as if they hadn’t seen them. 

Upper Engine was empty. When we passed Medbay, I peered in. Purple lay sprawled on a bed. They turned, nearly falling off, but at least they were alive. 

“How long are you going to do this?” I asked.

Pink continued.

I liked walking as much as the next person, but this was ridiculous. We had tasks to do! There were lives on the line! The Imposter could be after their next victim, but Pink strolled through the Skeld as if they had all the time in the world to waste. And why?

Because they were mad we had voted off Green?

It’s not like Green hadn’t asked us to. You couldn’t blame us for that.

“If you don’t stop,” I said when we circled our way back into Weapons, “I’m going to leave you. I’ll do my tasks on my own.” I meant it, too. I was pissed. The more time they wasted, the more likely one of us was to die. The longer it would take to get home.

Red dashed out of O2, checking me with their shoulder. I stumbled back, but Pink continued on.

That’s it. At Storage I’d grab the gas can and finish refueling the engines. I was done with these games.

Black nodded to me when we passed Communications and joined us through Storage. They headed towards Admin, and, as promised, I grabbed the gas can. 

Pink didn’t even stop. 

Whatever.

I didn’t care.

Although our suits were set to the same speed, they halted ever so slightly at Electric, and I moved past them. Now they had my back to answer to. Now they would know I didn’t care.

I stepped into Lower Engine. The doors separating Lower Engine from the other hallways swooshed closed.

I dropped the gas can. 

I spun on my heel.

Pink hadn’t made it!

They were still in the hallway near Electric.

I pounded on the door, but they were sturdy, thick. They’d block out any sounds on the other end, and no amount of my own strength would be able to pry them open.

It didn’t matter.

I pounded anyway.

My gloved hands reached for any crevice I could hold onto, any crack I could turn into a handle. 

How much time had passed? 

A couple of seconds? A minute?

There was a vent with me in the room, but I didn’t care. 

I needed to get to Pink. I needed to protect Pink.

How far away were we? The door was about three feet thick, if not more. At most, it was a distance of five feet, but it was a canyon, the entirety of the universe between me and Pink. A void I couldn't cross. I had to try. 

I kicked the door. I hit it with my body, putting my weight behind my shoulder. 

I threw the gas can at it, and, yeah, that was a stupid idea and now their was fuel everywhere, but I pounded and screamed and pounded some more. 

The doors whooshed open.

Pink tackled me to the ground, throwing their arms around me, the doors not even fully open. I held onto their waist, hitting the floor with a thud. They grabbed my helmet as if checking I was alive, pressing their own against mine as if that would somehow let them see my face. Our helmets pressed together, we lay on the ground, both shaking, fighting to get rid of the distance between us.

I pulled them closer, squeezing tightly. I wouldn’t let go. I wouldn’t let go of them no matter what. I’d never let go.

They rolled onto the ground, overcome with relief. I hugged them tighter.

They grabbed my arm, pulling it away from their waist. 

They clicked their bracelet against mine, our heart beats moving faster than typical, but moving nonetheless.

Alive.

We were alive.

We clicked our monitors together again and again. We were alive. We celebrated the fact. We checked once more, just in case. 

We were together and we were alive and that’s all I could have ever wanted. 


	7. Language Barrier

Pink and I didn’t concern ourselves with our tasks. We just held each other. Their embrace was warm. Safe. As long as I was with them, no harm could come to either of us. 

We teleported the cafeteria. An Emergency Meeting.

“Lou,” said Pink, and I squeezed them tight. The flower they wore bounced, as happy as could be. “I’m sorry.”

“No,” I said. “Don’t be. I’m glad you’re safe.”

They let go of me to take my hand in theirs. It felt right. It belonged. Pink’s larger hand covering my smaller one. 

“What the fuck?” said Red, pulling me out of my daydream. “Are we going to see each other’s faces every other second?”

“What happened?” asked White. 

“Orange called us here,” said Black.

We turned to Orange. They waved their hands frantically, their chest heaving with their heavy breaths. Whatever had happened, they had run. 

Orange spoke rapidly, their words sounding unfamiliar, foreign. 

“Do you think they’re the Imposter?” said Red as if Orange wasn’t sitting right next to them. 

“¿Hablas español?” I asked, saying the only other language I knew. 

Orange continued talking, the words spilling from their mouth. It wasn’t spanish.

Pink perked, catching onto my idea. “Français?” they asked. “Parlez-vous français?"

Orange waved wildly, gesturing every which way. 

“Let’s vote them off,” said Red. “They’re useless like this.”

Black tried then, speaking more languages than I could identify. Orange stopped for a moment, listening intently to Black, fingers clenched, straining to hear a language they recognized. At last, Orange spoke slowly and clearly, one word. They repeated it. Then, they turned to me and Pink, repeating the word. 

“Farsi,” said Black.

“And you speak it,” said Pink. Not a question. A statement. There could be no other option for us.

Black shook their head. “Never got the chance.”

“Well, this is a waste.” Red snapped their fingers and voted. 

Pink gripped my hand. “You’re not…”

“No,” I said. “I’m not. We’ll figure something out.”

Pink exhaled. 

White snapped and voted. Black looked at us, shrugged, and voted. 

Purple’s head nodded, hit their chest, and jerked up. They voted. 

My breath hitched. 

Had we killed Orange, too?

“We need to communicate with them,” said Pink to me. I nodded, racking my brain for any answer. For a solution.

I waved my hands, getting Orange’s attention. The others watched. I pointed at myself.

Orange did nothing.

I pointed at myself again, exaggeratedly. Clusimly, Orange pointed at themselves. 

This wasn’t working.

I tried again. I pointed to Pink. I nodded my head. Then, I shook it. Orange leaned forward, nodding slowly. 

I pointed at myself again. This time, they shook their head. I pointed at Pink. They shook their head. 

The timer ticked on. I gestured to Black. They shook their head. 

I pointed at Red.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake. This is ridiculous.” 

The timer ended. Red and White had voted for Orange. Purple had voted for themselves. Surprisingly, Black had also voted for Purple. Pink, Orange, and I hadn’t voted. 

Our communicators clicked off. It was a tie. 

Red scrambled out of their seat, hurrying away before Orange and I could continue our pointing and head shaking. 

Pink and I stood, going to Orange. They waved their arms again, frantic. Then, they ran to a corner of the cafeteria and pointed.

A vent! 

They had seen someone use the vent! 

We had to call another meeting before someone else died.

I pressed the button, but nothing happened. I pressed it again, then again. Pink took my hand, stopping me. They pointed at a timer that ticked away. 

I sat on the bench, thinking now. It was possible the pointing and shaking head method was working, but there was a possibility Orange didn’t understand what I was doing, and was just shaking their head because it seemed like the answer I was happiest with. I had to ensure we both knew exactly what was being communicated.

I walked to the vent, gesturing for them to follow. They looked to Pink who waited posed by the button. They trailed after.

I pointed to the vent. Then, I raised my hands. I cupped my right hand, making a cave of sorts. I hid my left hand in the cave, sliding it under. I did this again.

Orange copied my movements. I pointed to the vent. They nodded. That movement meant it was the vent. 

I pointed to myself and made the motion. Orange backed away, shaking their head. I held up my hands proving my innocence and they relaxed. They knew what I was talking about, now.

Pink hit the button. 

We were at the table again. Ignoring Red’s complaints, I made the sign I had shown Orange.

Orange made it. Then, they knocked their table, brought both hands together and seperated their hands.

“What are they doing?” I said stupidly.

They made the vent sign. Pointed at someone. Was it Red or White? I couldn’t tell. Knocked the table again and brought their hands together.

I held my face in my hands. I had failed.

“An egg,” cried Pink. They shook my shoulder, gesturing to Orange. “They’re cracking an egg.

Orange repeated the motion. But what did that mean?

I looked at the others, wondering if they were as confused as I was.

The egg on White’s head stared back at me, their head moving with their laughs, insults directed at Orange.

“White! Vote for White!” I snapped my fingers, struggling to vote before the time ran out.

Not asking questions, Pink did it also.

Orange continued the motion. Again and again. Gesturing and pointing.

“Wait, now,” said Black. “We don’t know that’s what they’re trying to say.”

I yelled to everyone, ordering them to vote. “Orange saw them use the vent! You have to vote White!”

“That’s ridiculous,” sneered Red. “You’re going off some gesture you don’t even understand.”

Pink snapped their fingers at Orange, a reminder that they had to hurry and vote. 

“Wait a minute,” cried White. “You can’t vote me off! They’re probably lying!” 

The timer neared zero, and White lashed out, trying to lunge for Orange. Black snapped their fingers. They voted.

The system acted, tearing White away from the table. Ejecting them into space.

Green’s suit had been still, an empty husk carrying a body. White’s thrashed and twisted. It contorted and stretched. It fought against the vacuum, trying to prove it hadn’t been outsmarted. A vibrant white suit that carried something inhuman.

We had done it.

We had found the Imposter. 


	8. Celebration Time, Oh Hell Yeah

We had done it. 

We had found the Imposter.

We had thrown them out, and we were done. We were safe.

I turned to Pink, my entire face alight with joy. They grabbed me, lifting me off the ground, and spun me in a circle. Joy and excitement and relief surrounding us.

Orange threw their fist in the air, a victory cry. They grabbed Purple’s hands and pulled them into a little dance. Pink threw back their head, probably laughing. They spun me again. 

We had done it.

We had won.

Black snapped their fingers, getting our attention. We still had tasks to complete if we wanted to get off the Skeld. We still had a job to do.

It didn’t matter. We were safe. We had survived. And we could take our sweet time doing our tasks. 

Pink followed me as I completed mine. They bounced with a skip in their step, and I held my head high. We had done it. We were smart enough to win. After every task, they shook their shoulders and stomped their feet. I joined the little victory dance, pumping my fists in the air.

I finished with some wiring outside of Security while Pink ducked into Reactor. I looked to the security cameras. Might as well check it out. I sat in the seat and looked at the set of screens before me. Let’s see. Purple ducked into Medbay. Black came out of the Cafeteria and popped into Admin. Orange and Red moved into Navigation, Red pushing to get past Orange.

Everyone here and accounted for. Everyone safe.

I pushed against the desk. The chair rolled back, and I stood. Better check on Pink.

They stood in front of the reactor, in front of that tricky Simon Says game. They hunched over it. Their posture tight, concentrated. They threw up their hands in exasperation. 

I tapped their elbow. When they turned, their posture relaxed. 

They nodded to the reactor start panel and held up their middle finger. I laughed. I motioned for them to follow me out of Reactor. We’d come back to it. 

They led the way up to Weapons. I sat with them while they shot at the asteroids. They looked so happy. So relaxed. 

We high-fived when they finished. They headed to Navigation with me trailing just behind. In the entrance, they tensed, stopping short. I ran into them, hitting their strong back. 

I grabbed their elbow. They shook me off, pushing me back with one hand. 

I touched their shoulder, then, trying to calm them, not knowing what was wrong. They turned, put both hands on my chest, and shoved me back. It wasn’t a movement that intended harm, but I stumbled back, nearly falling in the hallway. They spun on their heel, dashing into the room.

I tried to follow, my feet scrambling to find footing. Everything flashed black and white. 

We were in the cafeteria.

“Orange,” said Pink, their voice breathless. “Orange is dead.”


	9. Whoops But Like It's Chill This Time

“I’m so sorry,” said Pink, their voice wavering. I didn’t think they were crying, but they were very near to it. “Orange is dead.”

“What the fuck,” said Red. 

Pink shook their head. “It was bad. They’re—The Imposter is angry.”

“The Imposter,” said Red, “is outside floating around in a white space suit because we  _ took care _ of it.” Their voice was laced with annoyance “We won, and now we’re getting off this stupid fucking ship.”

It was too much to consider. Our victory. Our celebration. A fraud. The Imposter with us, celebrating the loss of their partner, waiting to kill us. It was enough to make anyone sick. 

To Black, I said, “When you were going through this—” they flinched at that— “how many of them did you have to deal with?”

They exhaled, long and slow. “We exterminated two of them.”

“Were there more than two?”

“Impossible to say. I got out of there as soon as I could.”

Great. Love that.

“You think you couldn’t have told us that before?” snapped Red. 

“It was not my priority.”

“Your priority?” Red laughed. “What the fuck is your priority if not our survival?”

Pink tapped my boot with theirs, pulling me away from the argument. 

“Are you okay?” I asked.

They nodded. Then, they shook their head. Blood stained the wrist of their suit. It must have been bad if the mere act of pressing their bracelet to Orange’s had left them covered in the stuff. They looked at the ground before lifting their head. “I just want to get out of here.”

“We will. We voted out one. We’ll find any of the others.”

They took my hand, interlacing their fingers with mine. “Can I ask you a question? It might sound foolish, but—”

“Of course.” I squeezed their hand. “You can ask anything.”

They looked away, their voice low and timid. “Do you think they’re out there? The ones we lost?”

Out there? Watching us flounder and wildly guess at their killers? Watching us fail and dancing in false victory? Watching our pathetic selves waste a chance at life they didn’t have?

“I hadn’t thought about it.”

“It’s just,” they said, their voice trailing. “When we got separated, when those doors closed, I was scared. I was so scared. And, I don’t know, it felt like there was someone beside me telling me it would be okay. That they’d be with me. I’m sorry, that sounds ridiculous.”

“No. It’s okay.” I put an arm around them so they would know I trusted them completely. “Please, tell me more.”

They leaned into me. “I’m glad you’re here.” Their breathing filled the communicator. Then, they said, “I didn’t want to tell you at the time, but I think they’re still here, doing their tasks. I think that’s why we haven’t gotten any new tasks after they died. They’re still completing them. And, back there,” they said, their breath catching. “Back in Nav. I felt something warning me before I saw it. Something telling me to get you out of harm’s way.”

I rested my helmet against theirs. 

“Orange is grateful,” they said. “They’re glad you listened to them.”

All the clues were here. Somehow, everything we needed to know about the Imposter was here, and we just had to listen. We had to put the clues together, figure out whose innocent, think rationally, and decide who was fooling us.

“We’ll get out of this,” I said.

“I know.”

We had to. 


	10. F in the Chats

The timer ran out. Pink and I had skipped. There wasn’t anything else we could do. Purple hadn’t voted, and Red and Black had voted for each other. We were a mess. There was no sense of coherence. No cohesion between us. Everyone did what they wanted, and the Imposter let us. 

We were going to die.

Pink and I stood by the tables for a moment, watching. Red ran off to Admin. Black marched toward Reactor. Purple slumped over the table with their head pressed to it. 

Had they already finished their tasks? Did they even have tasks to do?

Pink hooked their arm with mine and pulled me to Reactor.

Our footsteps echoed in the long halls. A slowing heartbeat.

Black waved at us from Security, and Pink ducked into Reactor to do their game of Simon Says. I stood in the entrance. I crossed my arms over my chest to keep myself from shaking. 

How many of them were out there? How many were waiting to kill us? For what purpose? Who could delight in such a thing?

A blaring alarm went off. The lights flashed red. I whipped toward Pink. They kicked the Reactor start panel. Good. They were okay. They were alive.

The blinding lights urged us to hurry. Someone had tampered with the oxygen.

Black ducked out of Security, going up.

Pink pulled me down. 

We arrived in Storage. The warning timer clicked down. 

Pink ran into Admin.

I made to follow them, but they pushed me back, gesturing for me to go to O2.

No. We couldn’t be separated. It was too risky. I wasn’t selfless enough to leave them out of my sight. 

They tapped their wrist. We didn’t have time.

They were smarter than me. More rational. More level headed. They knew what needed to be done, and they wouldn’t let me argue. 

They turned, trusting me to do the right thing, and sprinted to the control. 

I couldn’t let them down.

I dashed through the Cafeteria, nearly falling as I turned a sharp corner into Medbay and swung into O2. The strobe lights revealed an empty room. 

Where was everyone?

My hands shook. Code. What was the code? I searched for the written code we usually kept taped to the control panel. Okay. Breathe. Breathe. Ignore the flashing lights. I had to input the code. The faster the code was in, the faster we could get off this God forsaken ship.

I moved too fast, the lights distorting my vision, and the panel beeped at me. I had typed it in wrong. Deep breaths. Take two. We’d be okay. We’d get it done. I willed my trembling hands to move slower, to use caution. The paper with the codes on the ground fluttered to the ground. I cursed and wildly grabbed at it, snatching it from the air. I input the final digit and hit enter.

The lights still flashed.

I bolted out of O2. I had to make sure Pink was okay. 

I ran into Admin. I couldn’t stop, inertia pulling me forward and slamming me into the desk. Red stood at the control panel, paper in their hand. Where was Pink?

The lights and alarm blared. A warning.

A death sentence.

A flash of color under the table caught my eye. 

I couldn’t look.

I had to.

I squatted, putting one hand on the table to steady myself. 

There was a pink arm. 

There was only a pink arm.

A bracelet that was suppossed to read their heart, provide proof of their life. 

Mine hit theirs with the final snap of a closing casket. 

I would kill whatever sick creature was responsible. 

Starting with Red.


	11. The Final Vote

It wasn't Red.

I was wrong, and somewhere, Pink was watching me.

I had killed an innocent person for their sake. No, out of anger.

I needed to calm down.

I didn't know what to do.

I looked suspicious, claiming Red was the killer and having been wrong. There were three of us left. Black and Purple could gang up and vote against me. They had every reason to. 

We watched each other. The table separated us, keeping us from touching one another. The Imposter only had to kill one more and then we'd be done for. They'd win. 

I didn't have a clue. Black or Purple?

Black had been our leader, guiding us through the situation. But they had also lied to us. They didn't tell us how many Imposters there could be.

Purple slept through most the day as if they had no tasks to complete. As if our lives weren't worth it. 

Two strangers I knew nothing about, and somehow I had to outsmart them both. 

The lights went out. 

I froze.

I couldn't go fix it. That would be signing my death certificate. 

I couldn't stand in the dark either. Emergency meetings couldn't be called during a major malfunction. And what if Black and Purple both went to Electric? We were good as dead.

I had to find another way around it. I had to find a way I could win. 

I ran to Weapons because it seemed the most logical option. It was the furthest from Electric so the chances of me running into one of them was slim. And, there were two exits so I could run if the Imposter was looking for me. If I stood away from the vent and against the wall I could watch the vent and the exits.

Okay. Okay. There had to be a way out of this. 

I couldn't vote anyone off because I didn't know who to vote, and putting myself in a position where I would be voted off was risky. So, voting was out of the question. 

That left tasks. I had finished my tasks. I snapped my fingers and looked at the task bar. There was only a sliver of blank space left. From the looks of it, one task remained between us and freedom. 

If the task belonged to Black or Purple, then they were probably fulfilling it, right? 

The lights flicked on. 

Oh thank goodness. 

Wait, no. Why would they bother with electricity instead of their tasks?

Not quite knowing what I was doing, I ran out of Weapons, slid into the Cafeteria, and called an Emergency Meeting.

"Purple," said Black, their voice sounding slightly frazzled. "Purple tried to kill me in Electric."

"No!" Purple's hand slammed against the table, the most energy I've seen from them since we got to this damn place. "It's Black! You saved me. Vote Black!"

I didn't have time for this. "Who has tasks left?"

"We've gotten this far," said Black, gesturing to Purple. "Vote Purple."

"Stop," I snapped. "Tasks."

Black's hand hung in the air, hesitant. 

"I've finished," said Purple. "Finished ages ago."

"Me too," said Black. "Not ages ago, but I have completed my tasks."

I don't think the remaining person would lie about that. The Imposter would, but that didn't account for the remaining sliver of a task needed to be done. So who was left?

Pink huddled over that stupid Simon Says.

I cursed under my breath. They were probably working on it and I had disrupted it by calling this useless meeting. 

"I'm sorry, Pink," I said, hoping they could hear me. The time ran out, and the meeting ended.

Once again, we stood, separated by the tables, staring at each other. We had no where to go now that we knew there were no more tasks to be completed by us three. There wasn't a point in running off, and frankly, it would look suspicious. 

The timer signifying when another meeting could be called counted down. 

I wouldn't hit it again, but that didn't say anything about the other two. 

Shit. 

Pink better hurry.

The timer read five seconds.

Black and Purple hung over it, ready to call a meeting and make a case on why I should vote against the other.

Three seconds. 

Black took a step toward me.

Two seconds.

Purple raised their hand.

One second.

I tackled Purple.

We slammed to the ground, the button out of danger from their eager hand. 

Black loomed over us. They reached for their helmet. Something slithered out, toward us. 

Purple kicked, trying to get out from under me. Black's lifted their helmet higher, revealing a grin with too many teeth. 

Everything went white. 

The Skeld whirled to life, teleporting us to our ship. 

Purple fell back, arms sprawled across the ground, laughter coming from their helmet.

I rolled onto my stomach, pressing my helmet against the ground. 

"Dude," Purple said. "I think I just shit myself."

Pink had done it. They had saved us. 

There were no more Imposters among us.


End file.
